Week at a glance: Gender stereotypes; 30-seconders; Disney-Fox deal; Apple's OTT play

Why gender-based stereotypes continue to plague marketing strategies?
Marketers are reinforcing rather than helping to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes, states the latest ‘AdReaction’ report released by Kantar. The report reveals the disconnect between consumer and business opinions of gender portrayals in advertising. 

Analysing the efficacy of 30-seconders
We live in a screen agnostic era, with easy access to multiple devices and the affordability of data has radically increased the consumption of video content. This technological combination creates a breeding ground for brands and advertisers to reach as many audiences as possible. As smartphones and OTT platforms evolve further, advertisements must also suit the channel of communication.  

Unilever rejigs top rung; new roles for Nitin Paranjpe, Sanjiv Mehta
Unilever has made several senior appointments. Nitin Paranjpe has been elevated to the role of Chief Operating Officer. Hanneke Faber will take over the role of President - Foods and Refreshment from Paranjpe. KeesKruythoff has decided to move on from Unilever after 27 years of service. Peter Ter Kulve will replace Kees. He has been appointed to the role of President - Home Care Segment. 

Walt Disney Co completes acquisition of 21st Century Fox in $71 bn deal
The Walt Disney Company has completed the acquisition of 21st Century Fox today in one of the biggest media deals. As per industry reports, the acquisition is valued at $71 billion and includes 21st Century Fox’s film production businesses.

Apple set to unveil its new OTT service plans on March 25
According to media reports, Apple is all set to announce plans for its new video streaming service on March 25, 2019. The service would likely be integrated into Apple products and offer access to Apple’s original programming and content as well as popular shows from other media giants such as HBO, CBS and Showtime.

Saatchi & Saatchi Focus rechristened to Publicis Health & Publicis Business
Building on the Publicis Groupe philosophy of Power of One, with customers at the centre of everything they do, Saatchi & Saatchi Focus, an award-winning, specialist knowledge based communication agency has officially been rechristened to Publicis Health & Publicis Business.  

Trolling for Dummies
Trolls in the social media space are being increasingly seen as a menace, akin to cyber bullys. Troll attacks have become an inevitable part of one's social media presence today and they can quickly progress from some harmless fun to something vicious and threatening. Adgully hosted a Twitter Panel on March 19, 2019 on the topic of Internet Trolls and their impact on communication in the web. 

12 industry icons roped in as part of Master Jury for Creative ABBY’s 2019
ABBY Awards 2019 that celebrates creative excellence in the category has announced an illustrious Master Jury for the upcoming edition.  

How cricket is sprucing up Coolwinks’ growth strategy

Online eyewear platform Coolwinks has come on board as the principal sponsor for IPL franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), for the tournament this year. This is the brand’s first ever tie-up for a sponsorship with the Indian Premier League. As part of the sponsorship, Coolwinks’ logo will be placed on the front of the SRH Jersey this year.  

PM’s #MainBhiChowkidar takes Twitter by storm
With less than a month to go, political campaigning has started in all earnest across mediums. Media observers see the campaign battle shifting to digital in a major way in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

Brands leverage the different shades of Holi to tell their story
As one of the biggest festivals of the year draws close, various brands dig their heels into the theme of the festival and plays upon colours to communicate what the festival means to them. 

RSH Global assigns its media mandate to IPG Mediabrands' ‘Initiative
RSH Global, headquartered in Kolkata, with three brands under its umbrella JOY, X-MEN and Karis; offers quality personal care (Face care, Body care, Hair care) products at affordable prices. 

OMD India drives off with CarDekho’s media duties
CarDekho has appointed OMD India to manage its offline media duties. The account will be serviced by a dedicated team of media, strategy and data specialists out of the network’s Gurugram office.  

Social Kinnect bags digital duties of Raymond Custom Tailoring & Raymond Rewards
Social Kinnect has won the digital mandate for Raymond Custom Tailoring and Raymond Rewards, an offering custom-tailored to ensure a unique bespoke experience with styles that are a class apart. The mandate was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be operated out of the agency’s Mumbai office. 

Hyundai, Kia Invest $300m in Ola
Hyundai Motor Group and Ola today announced a strategic partnership under which Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) and Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) will make their biggest combined investment to date, as part the Group’s continued efforts to become a Smart Mobility Solutions Provider.

DCMN India Bags Media Duties for FanFight
DCMN India, a growth marketing partner to digital-first brands, has bagged the media duties for FanFight, India's fastest growing fantasy sports start-up. The mandate involves managing the media duties across multiple channels for FanFight and establishing it as a leading player in the Indian market. The focus will be on brand building as well as delivering performance for FanFight.

ComScore ranks DainikBhaskar.com as India’s No.1 Hindi news site
As per the latest comScore report, DainikBhaskar.com is still holding the dominance in HSM with 33.5 Million unique visitors and has emerged as India’s No.1 Hindi news site. This has been noticed that the unprecedented organic growth in user was found. Also, DainikBhaskar.com site is securing the No. 1 position in the following categories; Daily Active users, Visits, and Total time spent which states to the highest engagement on the site. 

Republic TV accuses TV18 of violating TRAI regulations on landing page
Republic TV, the English news channel from Arnab Goswami’s ARG Outlier Media, has alleged that TV18, another leading news channel network, has violated TRAI guidelines. In a letter to TRAI, Republic TV has alleged that News18 has started its landing page on Hathway Digital, which is against the direction stated by TRAI on December 3. The letter was submitted on March 6 to TRAI. 

Manish Khanduri of Facebook joins Congress Party
Manish Khanduri, ex-head of new partnerships at Facebook India has joined the Indian National Congress (INC). He is the son of BJP Minister and former chief minister of Uttarakhand, BC Khanduri. 

Smriti Mehra elevated to Executive Vice President, Focus at Network18
After stints with Discovery Channel, Arré and Turner Broadcasting, Smriti Mehra returned home to Network18 Group last year. The company today announced her elevation as EVP – Focus, to head revenue. She will report to Priyanka Kaul – President, Marketing & Special Projects, Network18. 

RBNL’s CFO Asheesh Chatterjee takes on the additional role of Chief Business Officer
Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) announces the appointment of Asheesh Chatterjee in the role of ‘Chief Business Officer,’ in addition to his current responsibility of serving as ‘Chief Financial Officer’ of the company. During the last year, Asheesh has been instrumental in bringing together his rich experience and understanding of the media industry to guide the Revenue and Business support teams across the company apart from his usual role of managing Finance, Legal, IT & Digital Transformation.  

Gartner study highlights ways for brands to defend their turf on search
Search remains a key channel across the digital funnel, from raising awareness to driving conversions, but many brands have failed to keep pace with its rapid evolution. Best-in-class brands actively manage their investments across an ever-expanding search ad landscape while effectively managing their digital presence – including on Google’s self-managed knowledge panel and business listings. 

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